This invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for dispensing doses of tablets and capsules, and the like, and more particularly, it relates to apparatus and method for dispensing doses of tablets and capsules, and the like, in a timed manner.
Frequently, people are required to take medicines or vitamins on a timed basis, as for example birth control pills, and often are required to take multiple kinds of medicines and/or vitamins which are provided in the form of tablets or capsules. Often, a person forgets to take the tablets and/or capsules that are prescribed or may make a wrong selection of the medicines or vitamins. On the other hand, a person may absentmindedly retake a dose, resulting in an overdose. There is a recognized need for providing medicines and vitamins, or the like, on a regularized basis with timed notice to the person requiring them.
Heretofore, various dispensers for tablets or capsules have been provided, but these previously known dispensers have not served to adequately make the person aware of the timing of the dosages while providing immediate access to the medicines or vitamins at the specified times. Further, many of the heretofore known dispensers have not been available in such size as to be readily handleable by the person and have been generally large-sized. Various dispensers, as for example that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,156, are designed for use in connection with packaging of medicament pellets, but are not designed for patient use. U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,420 discloses a tablet dispensing mechanism, but it requires a jet of water to operate the mechanism and is obviously not adapted for ready availability to a patient. A programmed medication dipenser is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,369,697, the dispenser requiring a medicament container to interact with the dispenser to deactivate and reactivate the dispenser's motor means.
The heretofore known dispensers have not functioned to advise a person at the time for taking tablets or capsules, and functioned to provide available capsules or tablets in a prescribed number and kind. Further, the heretofore known dispensers have not provided tablets or capsules over extended periods of time with the automatic provision of the prescribed tablets or capsules with signalling at extended but timed periods.